Box Office: ‘Karate Kid: Legends’ Chops Off $7.5 Million Opening Day, ‘Lilo & Stitch’ and ‘Mission: Impossible’ Still Leading Charts

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The opening weekend for ‘Karate Kid: Legends’ brought in $7.5 million across 3,809 cinemas, including previews, but it fell short of dethroning ‘Lilo & Stitch’ and ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ from the number one spot at the box office.

The upcoming sequel to Sony’s “Karate Kid” legacy film is projected to earn less than expected with a debut of around $21-$23 million, down from the initial projection of $25 million. Even if it doesn’t quite reach that figure, the PG-13 martial arts movie was made for only $45 million, which is relatively low compared to typical summer blockbuster budgets. The film isn’t attracting a wide audience yet, but fans of the original “Karate Kid” series still hold strong nostalgia for the 1984 classic and its sequels. A previous film reboot in 2010, starring Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan, was successful at the box office, and the popular Netflix spinoff series “Cobra Kai,” which wrapped up its six-season run recently, has also contributed to keeping interest alive.

In this latest installment, Chan joins forces once again with the original Karate Kid and Ralph Macchio from Cobra Kai to mentor a fresh young martial artist portrayed by Ben Wang. Although critical reception has been somewhat mixed for this Jonathan Entwistle-directed film, it has garnered positive feedback from viewers, earning an “A-” grade from Cinema Score’s initial poll of ticket buyers. The producers are optimistic that the favorable response will encourage more people to watch as summer vacation approaches.

As a movie enthusiast, I’d have to say that Disney’s “Lilo & Stitch” continues to be the top choice for families, pulling in approximately $17.2 million more on its second Friday alone. This live-action remake truly set the stage on its debut weekend, raking in a monumental $182.6 million over Memorial Day, setting a new record for the highest grossing Memorial Day weekend ever. With a total of $235 million earned so far, it currently ranks as the third highest-grossing North American release of the year. Given its production budget of $100 million, this box office success is even more impressive, especially considering that the movie was initially planned for exclusive streaming on Disney+.

Meanwhile, “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” continues to play on screens after earning $7.5 million on its second Friday. As the eighth (and supposedly last) installment in Tom Cruise’s action series, it is expected to generate around $26.7 million for its second weekend, which would represent a 58% drop from its record-breaking opening weekend.

As a movie enthusiast, I’m thrilled to share that the latest Paramount blockbuster surpassed $100 million domestically on Friday and is projected to reach an impressive $122 million by its first 10 days in theatres. This performance brings back memories of hits like “Dead Reckoning” from 2023, which garnered $118 million during a comparable period, and “Fallout” from 2018, with a staggering $124 million. However, it’s important to note that the production cost for this film, titled “Final Reckoning,” was a substantial $400 million. This hefty price tag swelled due to COVID-related protocols, strikes, and years of inflation, making the goal of profitable box office revenue an uphill battle.

In its premiere, “Bring Her Back” garnered approximately $3.1 million over Friday and previews, screening in 2,409 cinemas. The foster-family thriller from A24, featuring a chilling performance by Sally Hawkins, is the sequel to Danny and Michael Philippou’s 2023 release “Talk to Me.” This film initially debuted at Sundance before being purchased by A24 in a noteworthy agreement. At that time, it was A24’s second-highest grossing movie to date.

The film ‘Bring Her Back’ has been receiving outstanding reviews, even earning a B+ rating from Cinema Score – a rare positive response for horror movies, especially those as grim and violent as this one. Such critical acclaim could mirror the success of ‘Talk to Me’, which opened with $10.4 million and multiplied its earnings by 4.6 times. With no other horror releases until June 20th when Sony’s ’28 Years Later’ comes out, ‘Bring Her Back’ might have a clear path for box office success.

Indeed, “Final Destination: Bloodlines” is currently projected to secure the fourth spot in terms of earnings, having garnered approximately $3.1 million on its opening day, bringing its domestic total to an impressive $104 million. Interestingly, this figure significantly outperforms any other film in the series, and soon it will more than double the previous highest domestic gross of “The Final Destination” (2009) which stood at $66 million.

In a limited debut, the latest film from Wes Anderson titled “The Phoenician Scheme,” distributed by Focus Features, has brought in $270,000 from six venues in Los Angeles and New York over both Friday and previews. This highly-acclaimed adventure movie with an ensemble cast had its premiere at Cannes earlier in May and will be rolled out to more theaters across the country next week.

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2025-05-31 18:16